OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Much of Wednesday’s Maryland 4A girls’ lacrosse championship game felt like a Broadneck coronation. The Bruins, seeking their third straight state title, scored the game’s first four goals and had a six-goal lead with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Then things got interesting. Dulaney reeled off five straight goals — including four in less than two minutes — to cut its deficit to one, then got the ball back with a chance to tie in the final minute. But the Lions’ final shot ricocheted off the crossbar as time expired at Stevenson University’s Mustang Stadium, sealing a 9-8 Broadneck win.
The title was the sixth in the Annapolis school’s decorated history. And though it got dicey down the stretch, Coach Katy Kelley’s squad proved equal to the moment.
“It’s exhilarating and I think it’s really rewarding when you know you’ve fought tooth and nail,” Bruins senior Lilly Kelley said.
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“It felt good to work for it,” said senior Mary Moore, who scored three goals.
Kelley called a timeout amid the Lions’ late flurry and delivered a simple message: Breathe. The Bruins (15-5) needed to win a draw and score, she said, but it was Dulaney that notched the next tally to make it a one-goal game. Moore finally stopped the Dulaney run, cutting around the net for a pivotal goal with 4:24 remaining that would ultimately be the difference.
Dulaney (11-6) scored six goals over the final 10 minutes after being held in check until that point.
“I thought our defense was really connected,” Katy Kelley said. “I thought we were doing a great job covering the cutters.”
But Lilly Kelley received a yellow card, which gave the Lions the space and confidence they needed to rally.
Broadneck, however, is no stranger to close games. The championship matchup was the Bruins’ seventh one-goal contest this season, and they won four of those games. The Bruins’ first title in this run, in 2021 over Arundel, was a one-goal win as well.
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That experience helped Kelley’s squad keep calm, the coach said. The Bruins also faced the added pressure of expectations after winning back-to-back titles.
“That’s not always a great way to feel,” she said. “They had to handle … this expectation that we were just going to come out here and be fine.”
In the end, Broadneck closed its 2023 season the same way its finished off the previous two: celebrating a state title.
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